Racing rundown

I had my first race-related dream on Monday. Not a bad one like where you wake up only 15 minutes before the start of the race or you realize you’re wearing high heels instead of your trusty kicks, but just a dream about the morning of the race. I’ll take that as a good sign I’m not feeling unprepared, but that I’m just ready to do this!

What race you might ask? Well I’ve been a busy little athlete this summer and fall, with tons of races! My big race I’m training for is the Philadelphia Half Marathon. I’ve developed some crazy speed over the summer, and my goal is to break 2 hours! That’s another PR by more than 15 minutes. I think I can do it, I’ve been training on pace for the past few months. I really think all the triathlon cross training has really helped my speed. Extra strength from the biking, and learning to breathe while swimming (and not just whenever you want, like in running) has increased my lung strength.

Normally I only do about 3-4 races a year, tops. Usually one big race, a half marathon, then maybe a couple training races, and of course the Boulevard Bolt on Thanksgiving. This year, with all the triathlons and the wealth of fun different races I’ve done quite a bit. Here’s my rundown from this year, some completed, a few more to go:

May 29: GJCC Memorial Day Triathlon (Nashville) – hated the bike course and had my first run-in with a jackass in a car on a major highway.

June 19: Music City Du Run Run Duathlon (Nashville) – massive storm rolled in during the race and was really scary, but at least not blazing hot like most years, and I totally chicked my guy friend who also ran it. (He hates me now.)

July 30: Yazoo Barely a 4k Beer Run (Nashville) – My favorite local brewery basically found an excuse for a bunch of beer drinkers to get up early on a Saturday, run 2.4 miles, then drink a lot of beer, before 9am. (Chicked my friend again, he still hates me.)

August 27: Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon (Lebanon, TN) – Really tough bike course, but I trained on it and felt good. This was my goal sprint tri for the season.

September 17: Warrior Dash (Manchester, TN) – 3.15 miles of running and obstacles, dressed like 80’s Ke$ha with my friend Bunny! Tougher than I expected, but lots of fun!

October 29: Zombie Buffet 5k (Nashville) – Zombies chasing runners on a 5k course. Yeah, I’m going to be a zombie and I want your BRAINS!!

November 20: Philadelphia Half Marathon – This is my goal race for the year, hoping to break 2 hours. After I registered, I found out a lot of people I know online are also running it. Can’t wait!

November 24: Boulevard Bolt (Nashville) – This is my traditional Thanksgiving Day race. 5 miles in the morning and you can eat whatever you want for Thanksgiving. It may also be my first run after the Half.

So yeah, that’s quite a lot in one year, much less 7 months, for me at least. What’s in store for next year? I’m bumping up to Olympic distance in triathlons (with the goal of 70.3 Half Ironman in 2 years!). So I’ll definitely have some more sprint tri’s and one or two Oly’s, maybe an Endurance Distance too. I plan to run the Ramblin’ Rose again if they bring it back, because I loved it so much and it sparked my love of tri’s. I’m thinking about Hooping the Half Marathon again in the Spring with the Hooping for Hope ladies. Every year I keep saying I’m going to do the Louisville Triple Crown (a 5k, 10k, and 10 miler), so I’m going to try to work them in next year too. Then to pick out my goal Fall/Winter Half Marathon. Will I be able to get into the St. Jude in Memphis before it sells out on me again? Or will I return to Detroit for the Detroit Free Press Half Marathon?

Thanks! Ooh, we’ll be running those races together! How fun! I always run the Bolt with a couple friends (though usually at different paces).

I’m scared of the Music City Tri, well I’m scared of swimming in the Cumberland downtown. I went to school down there, and um, gross. You might consider the Nashvegas Tri, supposed to be nice. I’ve heard it’s hilly, but this is Nashville, there are always hills!

Louisville Triple Crown is 3 races over the month of March. 5k, 10k and 10miler. I’ve run the 10miler before. It’s a great race, but really hilly in the middle (loops through a park kinda like Percy Warner), but goes through beautiful neighborhoods. You get a special shirt if you do all 3.